Going into his bout against Bruno Oliveira at LFA 95 this past January, middleweight Josh Fremd was hoping to kick off his 2021 in a big way, and managed to do exactly that.
Just over two and a half minutes into his bout with Oliveira, Fremd was able to pick up a knockout victory, earning the biggest victory in his career to date.
“That was a really good experience for me to have; my first LFA main event against a very good high level striker,” Fremd told MMAWeekly.com. “I thought I did pretty well.
“There’s a lot of things – even though it ended in the first round – there are things that I’ve went back and worked on; the little flaws I see in things that I know I can do better. But overall it was a great experience. It was a big relief to get that first main event for a bigger organization off my chest. It was a great experienced.”
For Fremd, getting the kind of opportunities he’s been given of late comes at the right time in his career, as he feels like he’s peaking and ready for the steps up he’s taking.
“I’m finally able to go out there and be myself,” said Fremd. “I like to think I’m a finisher. I’m not going out here trying to get decisions. I’m trying to go out on my shield or come back on it.
“I think I’ve improved tremendously. My strength and conditioning is at a different level. I’m training more detail-oriented. I still train like a madman on the days I need to, but overall I’ve leveled up my training in all aspects. Everything I make sure is on point and we’re getting better all the time.”
This Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fremd (7-1) will look to claim his first major championship when he takes on Gregory Rodrigues (8-3) in the 185-pound championship main event of LFA 108.
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“It’s a good challenge for me,” Fremd said of Rodrigues. “He has all these accolades in the Jiu-Jitsu world. Look at the guy, he’s a specimen. He’s a very good striker; I think people underestimate his striking a little bit.
“I think I have to go out there and fight my fight. I’m a scrappy dude. You’re going to have to put me out; chock me out, knock me out; but I’m not giving up easy. If I have breath in me I’m going to be coming forward, turning it into a dog fight.”
While winning an LFA championship could lead to the next step of Fremd’s career, he’s doing his best to keep his mind set on Rodrigues and nothing much else.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it,” said Fremd. “That crosses my mind once in a while, but this game is very finicky. You can win so many in a row, do so many good things, but you don’t get picked up for whatever reason.
“I’m just focused on this fight, this opponent, and proving to people who think I have some deficits wrong. I’m excited for this one.”
Josh Fremd plans to turn LFA 108 title bout into a dog fight
